The Old Barber Shop

The first buzz Cut

Everyone seems to be curious about what is going on at the old barber shop. First, it's getting a buzz cut (torn apart) so it can get put back together. The building went up in 1916 and was intended to be a barber shop from the start. The upstairs is said to have originally been a doctor and dentist office. The last barber, Sylvester Seymour started shaving stubble (say that fast 4 times) and giving flat tops back in the '40s. Sy cut hair for 68 years. His wife passed away in 2009 and at 91 years old Sy went into the nursing home and died a year after his wife. He was still cutting hair up till a couple years before that. After having scissors in his hands for 68 of his 91 years he could probably cut hair blindfolded. Talk to anyone and they have a story about getting their hair cut by Sy. Did he cut many new little boys hair when he was in his 80's? A few, but he did continue to have regular customers who have been sitting in his chair for as long as they can remember. You can probably pick them out walking around town, they are the old guys with long hair now that Sy is no longer in business to trim them up. As for a close razor shave, he probably quit lathering faces in his 70's for safety reasons since shaving a face is more dangerous to do blindfolded.

The one thing people ask most about are the barber chairs. The heavy old Koch chairs were made in Chicago and are about 93 years old. In photos and at first glance they look good, but in person or to a collector they are in pretty rough shape. Rusty with missing parts, chipped porcelain and pitted nickle. Thanks to the TV show Pawn Stars, which featured a fully restored chair, folks seem to think they are worth more than they really are. In like new condition or fully restored the price could be somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000 each to the right buyer. The key words there are *the right buyer*. Most fully restored chairs do not sell for anywhere near the amount on Pawn Stars. It could cost a couple thousand dollars each to fully restore them. A typical restored chair can go for $2,000, and it would have to be in great shape to start with and not need the $2,000 worth of restoration for there to be a profit. To get top dollar the metal parts have to be re-nickled, missing parts need to be replaced, and have you ever tried to find parts for a 93 year old anything? Most people can't even find parts for a vacuum that's only 20 years old. The $4,000 it would take to restore the chairs is not top on the renovation budget. More like a shower, flooring, and windows. For now the chairs will just have to provide a bit of nostalgia in their rough well-used current condition, but if there is someone out there who believes everything they see on tv and wants to buy them for five thousand each, get in touch..... please!

A simplified version of the to-do list:

1) Apartment - tear everything out.......put it back together new, rent it out. Easy peaszy right? *Before and after photos when there is an after

2) Building front - restore it. Put in a big window so the curious gawkers don't have to press their face up to the dirty old glass to see what is going on inside.

Something like this:

3) Decide what to do with the commercial space and remodel it.
4) Do some work on the back of the building.

While the building goes through the renovations, if anyone wants to take a walk down memory lane and share a story about being in the barber shop or a haircut from Sy, send the story to the email below and the memory will be posted on a page. If you have an idea of what type business you would like to see in the store front or in back down along the lake promenade.... speak up. Oh, and if someone has their barbers license or knows that big spender who wants expensive 93 year old dilapidated chairs, send an email about that too!

Email: OldBarberShop@hotmail.com

For Rent ..... coming soon

People are already expressing interest in renting the upstairs apartment when it is done. Rent has not been set yet, and at this point a date for occupancy can't be pinned down. In the perfect world it would be ready by June 1st, but it is hard to say yet at this stage of the remodel, which is the slow part. Don't be looking for a bargain, if it's an average apartment you are looking for there are plenty of those to be had. Something a bit more upscale is coming to overlook the lake. In the meantime serious inquires should be sent to:
OldBarberShop@hotmail.com . Specify you are interested in the upstairs residential apartment, unless of course you are considering the commercial space, or heck, maybe you want to bring a business to the main floor and live upstairs - great idea!!!

Surfaces

Below are the vintage surfaces that have been uncovered. The checkerboard flooring runs the length of the hallway. While dirty, they are in surprisingly good shape. It's true they don't make things like they used too. The brown filigree is the original in the living room, or what was probably the doctors office waiting room. The bathroom floor has small white tiles and the tools of demolition - an old broom, an axe and a thick heavy piece of re-bar that works great for pulling stuff out and smashing. The rest of the original wood floors were covered only by one layer of carpet, probably installed when the offices became a home. Last is the mosaic tiles at the foot of the stairway. The colors in these tiles are nice, and it will hopefully be preserved.

Tearing it out

You never know what you will find once you start taking walls down in an old building. Nothing would be a surprise. Unfortunately rumors of hidden money were nothing more than that - rumor. Old wives tales and wishful thinking did not produce any found gold coins, they must be hidden in the building next door. It was agreed prior to closing on the building that any monies discovered would be turned over to the family. There is a jar collecting all the found cold hard cash, and it is not in danger of overflowing at this point. It is up to 13 cents. Cash or check?

Below is a view of the construction of the inside walls. The slats were needed so the plaster had something to adhere too. How would you have liked the monotonous job of nailing slat after slat on? There is at least one person renovating the building that is thrilled with the advent of drywall.

The Old Barber Shop

A renovation tale of a 1916 building

The first buzz Cut

Shadowy Figure Captured on Stairs

For Rent ..... coming soon

The Old Bench

Surfaces

Tearing it out

Lake Park Dock

View of Lake Elinor

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